The bell outside my office has finally stopped ringing, the class of 2026 is in the books, and we finished the year with some remarkable achievements and a truly exciting graduation season! Our own alumnus, Julius Tennon (B.F.A ’78), was the commencement speaker, exhorting students to take their UTulsa education forward and keep up the fight for positive change. With the same stage presence that brought down the house when he played Othello as a student in Kendall Hall, he reminded us that “Ignorance, wedded to power is the greatest threat to justice.” It was quite a moment, and as we continue to watch his work enter the stratosphere (look for him and Viola Davis in the Amazon MGM film “Ally Clark” this fall), it’s a reminder of just how far our graduates can go.
At that same event, we honored our University of Tulsa Outstanding Teachers. This once-in-a-lifetime award was given to two A&S faculty, Matt Hindman and Denise Dutton, solidifying our reputation as a college that goes all-in on student success. Another A&S faculty member, Eduardo Faingold, received the once-in-a-lifetime Outstanding Researcher award in recognition of a record of work in Spanish and linguistics that includes 10 books and 35 articles.
But of course, our students are the true stars of the show, even when Julius Tennon is in the house, and this spring two A&S students were center stage. Lacee Johnson received the Distinguished Service Award. He’s a talented writer and poet, who has also worked as a resident assistant, student leader and D’Arcy intern with the Justice Arts Coalition. Now this Austin, Texas, native is putting his English and psychology degrees to work with the Tulsa Service Year program, giving back to the community that has made his UTulsa career possible. Finally, Kadee Jo Ransom was our honor marshal and, as student government president, gave the commencement speech at this year’s ceremony, reflecting back on all the growth from her first year. I first met Kadee Jo when we took a group of 40 students to a bitter-cold Washington, D.C., in January 2025 to tour the museums, visit Arlington Cemetery and reflect on democracy and governance with alumni who worked in the federal government and were navigating a presidential transition. Now, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in psychology at the University of Arkansas.
Although Lacee and Kadee Jo took top honors on stage, I could write similar accolades about every student in our graduating class. They’ve already made a huge mark here at UTulsa, and I can’t wait to welcome them back at Homecoming 2026 to hear about all the ways they’re transforming the world for the better.
And now, it’s time to start getting ready to welcome the class of 2030!
Sincerely,
Blaine Greteman
Dean of the Kendall College of Arts & Sciences
The University of Tulsa